A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Thu Jun 1 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dripple X-Bonus: I want to walk through life instead of being dragged through it. -Alanis Morissette, musician (b. 1 Jun 1974) This week's theme: Portmanteaux (blend words) dripple (DRIP-uhl) verb intr. To flow in a small stream or to fall in drops. [A blend of drip and dribble. Earliest documented use: 1821.] Brexit (British + Exit) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/portmanteau_brexit_large.jpg Photo: Jeff Djevdet https://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffdjevdet/28043661180/ "They dripple down the wall into the stairwell and they look fabulous." Finding Art in the Natural World; Taranaki Daily News (New Plymouth, New Zealand); Apr 23, 2016. -------- Date: Fri Jun 2 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--masstige X-Bonus: The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people. -Cornel West, author and philosopher (b. 2 Jun 1953) This week's theme: Portmanteaux (blend words) masstige (mas-TEEZH, -TEEJ) noun: Products that have the perception of luxury, but are relatively affordable and marketed to masses. adjective: Relating to such a product. [A blend of mass market and prestige. Earliest documented use: 1996.] Skort (skirt + shorts) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/portmanteau_skort.jpg Photo: Doug Ellis https://www.flickr.com/photos/dougellis/153922451/ "Mr Clarke said Treasury Wines had established its luxury and masstige wines in China to compete with French and Italian wines." Uncorking US Market; The Gold Coast Bulletin (Southport, Australia); Feb 15, 2017. -------- Date: Mon Jun 5 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--showboat X-Bonus: What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience? -Adam Smith, economist (5 Jun 1723-1790) When you receive an invite to a new exhibit do you pencil it in your calendar or skip it just because they called it an "invite" instead of an "invitation" and "exhibit" instead of an "exhibition"? When a TV soap opera finally reveals who is going to end up with whom, do you wish they called it a "revelation" instead of a "reveal"? Do you wonder if it's too much to ask the new generation to use the language properly instead of twisting words every which way? Put another way, is it too big of an ask? Here's some history: The words "invite", "reveal", and "exhibit" have been in use as nouns for 400 years or more. And the word "ask" has been in use as a noun for more than a thousand years. Welcome to the inconsistent world of human languages. Some words cross boundaries into other parts of speech and become acceptable in short order. Others, even after hundreds of years, raise the hackles of purists. One way to think of this is: If it's OK to use the words "demand" and "request" as verbs and nouns, why not the word "ask"? All three started out as nouns and became verbs in short order. Verbing of nouns (and nouning of verbs) has been going on for a long time. This week we'll see five nouns that have also become verbs. PS: In "Antony and Cleopatra" Shakespeare has Cleopatra say to a messenger: "I'll unhair thy head." Give it a think. And look for Shakespeare to make an unexpected appearance later this week. showboat (SHOH-boht) verb intr.: To seek attention by showy, flamboyant behavior; to show off. noun: One who seeks attention in such a way; a show-off. [After riverboats, with onboard theater and troupes of actors, that stopped at towns along the river to offer entertainment. Earliest documented use: 1839.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/showboat Showboating at a high-school graduation https://youtu.be/pj0m6On8DQ0?t=3m28s&end=3m40s (10 sec.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj0m6On8DQ0&start=208&end=218 "One club official quipped he didn't realise it was an exhibition match as Bradley Walker showboated in midfield." Nick Loughlin; Walker Adds to His Classic Collection; Northern Echo (Darlington, UK); Mar 17, 2014. -------- Date: Tue Jun 6 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gaslight X-Bonus: We have enslaved the rest of the animal creation, and have treated our distant cousins in fur and feathers so badly that beyond doubt, if they were able to formulate a religion, they would depict the Devil in human form. -William R. Inge, clergyman, scholar, and author (6 Jun 1860-1954) This week's theme: Nouns that became verbs gaslight (GAS-lyt) verb tr. To manipulate psychologically. [From the title of the classic movie "Gaslight" (1940 and its 1944 remake), based on author Patrick Hamilton's 1938 play. The title refers to a man's use of seemingly unexplained dimming of gaslights (among other tricks) in the house in an attempt to manipulate his wife into thinking she is going insane. Earliest documented use: 1969.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/gaslight "Gaslight" (1944) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gaslight_large.jpg "We, the viewers, know that Jimmy is essentially gaslighting Chuck, making his own brother doubt himself." Matt Wilstein; 'Better Call Saul's' Michael McKean on Chuck's Devastating Downfall; The Daily Beast (New York); May 9, 2017. -------- Date: Wed Jun 7 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--degauss X-Bonus: Truth-tellers are not always palatable. There is a preference for candy bars. -Gwendolyn Brooks, poet (7 Jun 1917-2000) This week's theme: Nouns that became verbs degauss (dee-GOUS) verb tr. 1. To demagnetize. 2. To erase a disk or other storage device. [From gauss, a unit of magnetic field strength, named after the mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777-1855). Earliest documented use: 1940.] NOTES: You can friend & defriend https://wordsmith.org/words/defriend.html and you can magnetize & demagnetize, but you can only degauss, you can't gauss. You can debunk, but not bunk, and you can defenestrate https://wordsmith.org/words/defenestrate.html , but not fenestrate. What other words like this can you think of? See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/degauss Carl Friedrich Gauss https://wordsmith.org/words/images/degauss_large.jpg "She degaussed the magnetic catch on the cover plate of the nearest door." Barbara Hambly; Star Trek: Crossroad; Pocket Books; 2000. -------- Date: Thu Jun 8 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Shakespeare X-Bonus: When I invented the web, I didn't have to ask anyone's permission. Now, hundreds of millions of people are using it freely. I am worried that that is going to end in the USA. ... Democracy depends on freedom of speech. Freedom of connection, with any application, to any party, is the fundamental social basis of the Internet, and, now, the society based on it. Let's see whether the United States is capable of acting according to its important values, or whether it is, as so many people are saying, run by the misguided short-term interest of large corporations. I hope that Congress can protect net neutrality, so I can continue to innovate in the internet space. I want to see the explosion of innovations happening out there on the Web, so diverse and so exciting, continue unabated. -Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web (b. 8 Jun 1955) This week's theme: Nouns that became verbs Shakespeare (SHAYK-speer) verb intr. 1. To act in a play, movie, etc. 2. To attend a performance of Shakespeare's plays. [After the playwright William Shakespeare (1564-1616), who wrote more than three dozen plays. Earliest documented use: 1896.] NOTES: Not only has Shakespeare become a word in the English language, many of his characters have as well. Meet some of them here https://wordsmith.org/words/ophelian.html and here https://wordsmith.org/words/dogberry.html . See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Shakespeare "The Plays of Shakespeare", 1849: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/shakespeare_large.jpg Scenes and characters from some of William Shakespeare's plays Art: John Gilbert "Whenever I am not on tour with my ballet troupe or Shakespearing my way on the theatrical circuit, you will find me in my East Village haunt and my greatest find ever, the Kiev Restaurant. -Terrence Deitch." Grace Yen; Bargain Hunters 2004; Back Stage (New York); Aug 20-26, 2004. "The set-up will not allow attendees to spread out blankets for simultaneous picnicking and Shakespearing." James Keller; Snatch'd Out of the Jaws of Death; The Santa Fe New Mexican; Aug 16, 2013. -------- Date: Fri Jun 9 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--prodnose X-Bonus: Live and let live, be and let be, / Hear and let hear, see and let see, / Sing and let sing, dance and let dance. ... Live and let live and remember this line: / "Your bus'ness is your bus'ness and my bus'ness is mine." -Cole Porter, composer and songwriter (9 Jun 1893-1964) This week's theme: Nouns that became verbs prodnose (PROD-nohz) verb intr.: To pry. noun: A prying person. [After Prodnose, a pedantic and nosy character, who appeared in the columns of J B Morton in the "Daily Express". Earliest documented use: 1954.] NOTES: J B Morton wrote under the pen name Beachcomber. Twenty years before the word appeared in his column, the poet Dylan Thomas wrote in a letter to someone in 1934: "I want you to think of me today ... singing as loudly as Beachcomber in a world rid of Prodnose." "I Love Malling" (and vasing & celloing & wide-stancing & red-sweatering) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/i_love_malling_large.jpg Photo: hojusaram https://www.flickr.com/photos/hojusaram/2280755612/ "letsgreenthiscity" (also, saveonapostropheandspaces) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/letsgreenthiscity_large.jpg Photo: Ade Oshineye https://www.flickr.com/photos/adewale_oshineye/627836753 "The lines between government prodnosing and charitable work become ever more blurred." Libby Purves; Charities Must Get Back to Doing Good Works; The Times (London, UK); Dec 23, 2008. "Now Wallace wants to take this gang of Minnesota prodnoses to the national level." Alexander Cockburn; Leave the Press to the Court of Public Opinion; Los Angeles Times; Dec 27, 1996. -------- Date: Mon Jun 12 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--satrap X-Bonus: I don't believe that the big men, the politicians and the capitalists alone are guilty of the war. Oh, no, the little man is just as keen, otherwise the people of the world would have risen in revolt long ago! There is an urge and rage in people to destroy, to kill, to murder, and until all mankind, without exception, undergoes a great change, wars will be waged, everything that has been built up, cultivated, and grown, will be destroyed and disfigured, after which mankind will have to begin all over again. -Anne Frank, Holocaust diarist (12 Jun 1929-1945) It's the language of Rumi, Saadi, and Omar Khayyam. It looks and sounds very different, but it's part of the same family as English: the Indo-European family that includes languages as diverse as French, Hindi, and Irish. I'm talking about Persian, the language spoken in Iran (where it's known as Farsi/Parsi), Afghanistan (where it's called Dari), Tajikistan (where it's called Tajik), and elsewhere. English has borrowed words from every language it came in contact with and Persian is no exception. Some everyday words that owe their origins to Persian are check, magic, peach (literally, Persian apple), kiosk (literally, palace), pajamas (literally, leg garment), khaki (literally, dusty), van (short for caravan), azure, talc, and jasmine. From time to time we've featured words that were borrowed from Persian, but never dedicated a whole week to them. This week we'll see five words that have come to us from (or via) Persian. satrap (SAY-trap, SAT-rap) noun 1. A governor of a province in ancient Persia. 2. A subordinate ruler or official. [From Latin satrapes, from Greek satrapes, from Old Persian khshathrapavan (protector of the province), from khshathra- (province) + pava (protector). Ultimately from the Indo-European root pa- (to protect or feed), which also gave us fodder, food, pasture, pantry, companion, and Spanish pan (bread). Earliest documented use: 1380.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/satrap "The new site should obviously be decided by the islanders who must live with it, not some London-appointed satrap." Matthew Engel; First Flight to St Helena; Financial Times (London, UK); Jan 30, 2016. -------- Date: Tue Jun 13 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dervish X-Bonus: The intellect of man is forced to choose / Perfection of the life, or of the work, / And if it take the second must refuse / A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark. -William Butler Yeats, writer, Nobel laureate (13 Jun 1865-1939) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Persian dervish (DUHR-vish) noun 1. A Muslim monk of various ascetic orders, some of whom take part in ecstatic rituals such as whirling dances or chants. 2. Someone who exhibits frenzied movements. [From Turkish, from Persian darvish (poor, beggar). Earliest documented use: 1585.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/dervish Whirling dervishes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_Cf-ZxDfZA "Max thrusts and struts her way through each one, starting slowly with the feet, speeding up, then adding the arms until she becomes a sweat-streaked Lycra dervish." Anna Burnside; Lorraine Kelly and Trainer Pal Launch Fitness DVD; Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland); Dec 26, 2016. -------- Date: Wed Jun 14 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--baksheesh X-Bonus: The longest day must have its close -- the gloomiest night will wear on to a morning. An eternal, inexorable lapse of moments is ever hurrying the day of the evil to an eternal night, and the night of the just to an eternal day. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Persian baksheesh (BAK-sheesh) noun A payment, such as a tip or bribe. [From Persian bakhshish, from bakhshidan, from baksh (to give). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhag- (to share) that is also the source of nebbish https://wordsmith.org/words/nebbish.html , Sanskrit bhagya (good fortune), and words related to -phagy (eating), such as onychophagia (the biting of one's nails) https://wordsmith.org/words/onychophagia.html and xerophagy (the eating of dry food) https://wordsmith.org/words/xerophagy.html . Earliest documented use: 1686.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/baksheesh "She scattered baksheesh like manna from the heavens: she bestowed her bounty on everyone." Sally Beauman; The Visitors; Harper; 2014. -------- Date: Thu Jun 15 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ayatollah X-Bonus: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. -Euripides, playwright (c. 480-406 BCE) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Persian ayatollah (ah-yuh-TO-luh) noun 1. A high-ranking religious leader of the Shiite Muslims. 2. A person having authority and influence, especially one who's dogmatic. [From Persian ayatollah (literally, sign of god), from Arabic ayatullah, from aya (sign) + allah (god). Earliest documented use: 1950.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ayatollah "The ties debate has been rumbling for years. Having appeared tieless as a panellist [on BBC], I can hardly be considered an ayatollah on this issue." Quentin Letts; Oh, Paxo Do Put Your Tie Back On!; Daily Mail (London, UK); Nov 1, 2012. -------- Date: Fri Jun 16 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pasha X-Bonus: I learned long ago that being Lewis Carroll was infinitely more exciting than being Alice. -Joyce Carol Oates, writer (b. 16 Jun 1938) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Persian pasha (PA-shuh, PASH-uh, puh-SHAH) noun A person of high rank or importance. [From Turkish pasa, from Persian padshah, from pati (master) + shah (king). Pasha was used as a title of high-ranking officials in the Ottoman Empire. Earliest documented use: 1648.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pasha "It's more than just his achievements that give Jason Epstein such an aura of authority. He is a pasha of publishing." Mark Feeney; Prophet of Publishing; Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 16, 2001. -------- Date: Mon Jun 19 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--caltrop X-Bonus: What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist. -Salman Rushdie, writer (b. 19 Jun 1947) A few weeks ago I passed out in the gym, perhaps due to dehydration. Gravity did its thing. My body accelerated at 9.8 m/s2 and met the ground. A concussion is no fun. I sympathize with the NFL players who have to do this for a living. The emergency room doctors stapled my head, did a whole bunch of tests, and released me with the instructions to rest. I lay in bed for a few days. It can be tiring to rest. So I lay in bed, thinking random thoughts. Why don't human bodies come with a warranty? Any damage, and we'll give you a new one, no questions asked. Well, that may not happen, but aftermarket service is great and getting better (though it can cost an arm and a leg). Modern medicine is impressive. Thank you, science! It's cool (and spooky) to look at the CT scan of your own head. I guess that's one way to do introspection. I asked the hospital for a CD of the scans. Here's a slice https://wordsmith.org/awad/images/anu-garg-ct-scan1.png . Now you can also look into my head, though a better way to do that is to simply read what I write. Anyway, the packaging may have taken a hit (and now healing, slowly), but the goods are intact. I still think about words, dream of them, and play with them. So as I was reading the latest issue of "National Geographic" magazine, I came across this article https://wordsmith.org/awad/images/pale-ontologist-national-geographic-jun-2017-page-97.jpg , and a word jumped out at me. If you know what ontology https://wordsmith.org/words/ontology.html is, you know what an ontologist does, but do you know what a pale ontologist does? I don't know, but she'd better sit down if she's feeling pale. A concussion is no fun. This week we'll have fun with a week of words derived from the names of various parts of the body. caltrop (KAL-truhp) noun 1. A device with (typically) four projecting spikes arranged in a way that one spike is always pointing up. Used to obstruct the passage of cavalry, vehicles, etc. 2. Any of various plants having spiny fruits. [From Old English calcatrippe (any of various plants, such as thistle, that catch the feet), from Latin calcatrippa (thistle), from calx (heel) + trap. Earliest documented use: 1000.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/caltrop Caltrop (dangerous) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/caltrop1_large.jpg Photo: CIA https://www.flickr.com/photos/ciagov/5416144577/ Water caltrop (delicious) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/caltrop2_large.jpg Photo: Scott https://www.flickr.com/photos/sthane/29068364763/ "Marsh tried to swallow a growing ache, and winced. His injuries had become a caltrop lodged in his throat." Ian Tregillis; The Coldest War; Tor; 2012. -------- Date: Tue Jun 20 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chagrin X-Bonus: The well taught philosophic mind / To all compassion gives; / Casts round the world an equal eye, / And feels for all that lives. -Anna Letitia Barbauld, poet, essayist, and editor (20 Jun 1743-1825) This week's theme: Words derived from the names of parts of the body chagrin (shuh-GRIN) noun: Distress caused by disappointment or humiliation. verb tr., intr.: To feel or cause to feel chagrined. [From French chagrin (sad, sorry, shagreen: rough skin). Earliest documented use: 1656.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/chagrin "To his chagrin she was flirted on constantly." Frans Welman; Oblivion in Progress; Bangkok Books; 2017. -------- Date: Wed Jun 21 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sinewy X-Bonus: Life has no meaning a priori. ... It is up to you to give it a meaning, and value is nothing but the meaning that you choose. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980) This week's theme: Words derived from the names of parts of the body sinewy (SIN-you-ee) adjective Strong; tough; stringy; forceful. [From sinew, from Old English seon(o)we, sionwe, etc. Earliest documented use: 1382.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/sinewy "Lewis Shiner moved more and more into a lean, sinewy prose style." James E. Gunn and Matthew Candelaria; Speculations on Speculation; Scarecrow Press; 2005. -------- Date: Thu Jun 22 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--repugn X-Bonus: One can never pay in gratitude; one can only pay "in kind" somewhere else in life. -Anne Morrow Lindbergh, writer (22 Jun 1906-2001) This week's theme: Words derived from the names of parts of the body repugn (ri-PYOON) verb tr., intr. To oppose, resist, or fight. [From Old French repugner, from Latin repugnare, from re- (again) + pugnare (to fight), from pugnus (fist). Ultimately from the Indo-European root peuk- (to prick) which is also the source of point, puncture, pungent, punctual, poignant, pounce, poniard, impugn https://wordsmith.org/words/impugn.html , pugilist https://wordsmith.org/words/pugilist.html , and pugnacious https://wordsmith.org/words/pugnacious.html . Earliest documented use: 1382.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/repugn "[A] decadence that Elgar would have repugned." Douglas Sealy; Katherine Hunka (violin), Sophia Rahman (piano); Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland); Jan 24, 2001. -------- Date: Fri Jun 23 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rubberneck X-Bonus: The simplest questions are the most profound. Where were you born? Where is your home? Where are you going? What are you doing? Think about these once in a while and watch your answers change. -Richard Bach, writer (b. 23 Jun 1936) This week's theme: Words derived from the names of parts of the body rubberneck (RUHB-uhr-nek) verb tr., intr.: To look or stare with undue curiosity. noun: A person who stares in such a way. [From the idea of twisting one's neck to stare at someone or something. Earliest documented use: 1892.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/rubberneck https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rubberneck_large.jpg Image: Mark Rain https://www.flickr.com/photos/azrainman/1004238730 NOTES: The word has been applied to a tourist and to going on a sightseeing tour. Francis Scott Fitzgerald in "Tender Is the Night" (1934): "At Mr. Bill Driscoll's invitation she went on an excursion to Versailles next day in his rubberneck wagon." "I'm not in the mood to rubberneck, so I leave the gawkers and the chaos of the accident behind and continue on my way." S.G. Browne; Less Than Hero; Gallery Books; 2015. -------- Date: Mon Jun 26 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--arraign X-Bonus: Our society must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members. -Pearl S. Buck, Nobelist novelist (26 Jun 1892-1973) Oxford has made available their dictionary data via an API https://developer.oxforddictionaries.com/ (i.e. programmatically). Thank you, Oxford! As I was playing with it, I decided to check out their terms and conditions: https://developer.oxforddictionaries.com/api-terms-and-conditions https://web.archive.org/web/20170607202053/https://developer.oxforddictionaries.com/api-terms-and-conditions This jumped out at me: "Except for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or for fraud, we ... will not be liable to you." I can't imagine what a dictionary publisher might do that could cause death or injury, but you never know. The lawyers must have thought of it. Perhaps they fear someone coming back at them with, "You said the word 'fact' means 'A thing that is known or proved to be true' and I took the facts given by my president as true and that resulted in ..." Maybe a prosecutor could claim that the dictionary publisher was negligent because they didn't differentiate between 'facts' and 'alternative facts'. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/23/opinion/trumps-lies.html These times are different -- anything is possible. I dream of a world in which there are no terms and conditions, no small print, and no legalese. And no need for warnings, as on this pack of walnuts: "Contains nuts." https://www.flickr.com/photos/robclay/6697484489 I sure hope so. Why can't we all go by the golden rule? Instead of pages and pages of text filled with dense jargon, imagine just one line: Either of us wouldn't do anything we wouldn't like if we switched places. That's it. It works. Corporations, give it a try! I know what some readers are thinking. What about all those lawyers? They will be out of a job. Well, inside each lawyer there's a poet or an actor or a writer or a painter or a sculptor or a playwright or a singer squirming to come out. Let it. And until the day comes when we all live by the golden rule, prepare yourself by being aware of this week's terms from the world of law. [By reading any further you agree that you are bound by the rule and/or rules set forth by our legal department of Wordsmith.org. Our rule(s) thus far: Be kind to everyone.] arraign (uh-RAYN) verb tr. 1. To call or bring a defendant before a court to hear and answer a criminal charge. 2. To criticize, accuse, or censure. [From Old French araisnier, from Latin rationare (to talk, to reason), from ratio (reason, calculation). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ar- (to fit together), which also gave us army, harmony, article, order, read, adorn, arithmetic, rhyme, and ratiocinate https://wordsmith.org/words/ratiocinate.html . Earliest documented use: 1360.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/arraign "He was arrested, arraigned, and convicted." Adam Gopnik; Mindless; The New Yorker; Sep 9, 2013. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/09/09/mindless -------- Date: Tue Jun 27 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pro se X-Bonus: The highest result of education is tolerance. -Helen Keller, author and lecturer (27 Jun 1880-1968) This week's theme: Terms from law pro se (pro say) adjective, adverb On one's own behalf (i.e., representing oneself in a court, without a lawyer). [From Latin pro (for) + se (himself, herself, itself, themselves). Earliest documented use: 1861.] "Pro se cases always troubled Judge Fischbein. People representing themselves in this kind of complicated litigation invariably created problems for the court as well as everyone else involved -- a lose-lose situation!" Doug McPheters; Goshawk; iUniverse; 2013. -------- Date: Wed Jun 28 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--depose X-Bonus: The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778) This week's theme: Terms from law depose (di-POHZ) verb tr.: 1. To remove from a high office or throne suddenly and forcefully. 2. To examine under oath. verb intr.: To give testimony. [From Old French deposer, from Latin deponere (to testify, to put down), from de- + ponere (to put). Ultimately from the Indo-European root apo- (off or away), which also gave us after, off, awkward, post, puny, repose https://wordsmith.org/words/repose.html , pungle https://wordsmith.org/words/pungle.html , apropos https://wordsmith.org/words/apropos.html , and apposite https://wordsmith.org/words/apposite.html . Earliest documented use: 1300. The word depose is often used in another form, depone; the noun forms are deposer or deponent.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/depose "Even though Mussolini has been deposed, there are Italians who still sympathize with him." Mary McGuire; Waiting for Matthew; Xlibris; 2014. "Attorneys deposed Thomas on Monday morning, one of some three dozen witnesses related to Simon's suit." Eric Zorn; The 'Innocence Industry' Fights Back; Chicago Tribune; Jun 7, 2017. -------- Date: Thu Jun 29 00:01:03 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--surrebuttal X-Bonus: A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (29 Jun 1900-1944) This week's theme: Terms from law surrebuttal (suhr-ri-BUHT-l) noun The response to a rebuttal. [From Latin sur- (over, above) + rebuttal, from rebut (to refute), from Old French rebouter (to push back), from boute (to push). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhau- (to strike), which also gave us refute, beat, button, halibut, buttress, and prebuttal https://wordsmith.org/words/prebuttal.html . Earliest documented use: 1889.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/surrebuttal NOTES: It all starts with the verb butt (to strike or push), which leads to rebut (to refute), which, in turn, leads to surrebut, and so on. The English language has enough prefixes that you can continue this back and forth forever. There's also surrejoinder, a reply to a rejoinder. Also see https://wordsmith.org/words/hemidemisemiquaver.html "The ladies took the stand for the second time during the surrebuttal and again dumped on Lana shamelessly." Dominick Dunne; Guilty Feelings; Vanity Fair (New York); Nov 2007. -------- Date: Fri Jun 30 00:01:04 EDT 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--subrogate X-Bonus: Shadow owes its birth to light. -John Gay, poet and dramatist (30 Jun 1685-1732) This week's theme: Terms from law subrogate (SUHB-ro-gayt) verb tr. To substitute one person or entity for another in a legal claim. [From Latin subrogare, from sub- (in place of) + rogare (to ask, propose a law). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead, or to rule), which also gave us regent, regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, surge, abrogate https://wordsmith.org/words/abrogate.html , arrogate https://wordsmith.org/words/arrogate.html , and derogate https://wordsmith.org/words/derogate.html . Earliest documented use: 1427.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/subrogate "Contact your renter's insurance carrier, who should take care of you and then subrogate against the other unit owner or the association." Robert Griswold, et al.; Water Damage Makes Another Argument for Insurance; The Washington Post; Feb 12, 2005.